Kansas City Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid is under fire after the Cincinnati Bengals were eliminated from NFL playoff contention following the Chiefs’ scoreless loss to the Denver Broncos.

The Chiefs chose to rest their key players, including Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones, for Sunday’s game in Denver.

This decision had implications for the Dolphins and Bengals, who were vying for a playoff spot but needed Kansas City to defeat the Broncos.

However, the Chiefs suffered a crushing 38-0 defeat, meaning they will now avoid facing the Bengals’ potent offense in the AFC side of the playoff bracket while also enjoying a bye in the wild-card round.

Reid, whose goal was to keep his team fit and healthy for their bid to win a third consecutive Super Bowl, is now facing criticism for not fielding a strong team to at least compete against the Broncos.

The defeat was so lopsided that CBS removed the game from their national broadcast. Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III has suggested that Reid intentionally lost the game to avoid a potential matchup with the high-scoring Bengals, led by Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, and Ja’Marr Chase.

“Chiefs did everything they could to make sure the Bengals didn’t make the Playoffs. MY GAWD,” one fan exclaimed on X. Another fan accused Coach Reid of manipulating the AFC playoff picture, stating: “Andy Reid needs fined or fired immediately!”.

They added: “What we witnessed in this game is illegal in sports. Taking a dive and trying to manipulate the entire playoff scenario in their favor. KC is disgusting”.

Cincinnati lost eight of their first 12 NFL games this season before winning their remaining five in a row to give themselves a chance at making the playoffs. “For anyone out there complaining about the @Bengals not making the playoffs because the @Chiefs aren’t playing anyone in week 18 tell Cincinnati September matters too: *2024 0-3 then 1-5, *2023 0-2 then 1-3, *2022 0-2 then 2-3. All the games count the same amount. Start better,” another fan pointed out.

Despite being plagued with injuries in 2024, the Chiefs still managed a 15-2 regular season record. Patrick Mahomes flirted with a spell on the sidelines following a knock, while Hollywood Brown missed most of the season, as did running back Isiah Pacheco.

Defensive standout Chris Jones was also nursing a calf injury during the final weeks of the regular season. “They were able to get some rest, which I thought was important. I’m not recommending that you do that every year so, but down the road, I think we’ll be okay from it because of the rest that we gained here so, and that we also have the bye week coming up where, you know, there’s a chance that guys get a day or two off,” Reid explained.